India and the 10-member Asean group are hoping to strengthen ties with physical connectivity playing a bigger role in linking the regions, and enhancing opportunities for bilateral trade and travel, when they meet in New Delhi on January 25. On the agenda for discussions with leaders of the Asean will also be strategic issues such as revival of the quadrilateral cooperation among US, Japan and Australia, and deeper security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The forthcoming commemorative summit on the theme ‘Shared Values, Common Destiny’ later this month in New Delhi will discuss the progress achieved so far in some of the crucial projects, such as the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport corridor and the 3,200-km India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, which have been moving very slowly for more than a decade now. The 3,200 km-long road begins at the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh (in Manipur) and passes through several Myanmarese towns including, Tamu, Kalewa, Yargyi, Monya, Mandalay, Meiktila, Myawaddy and finally reaches Mae Sot in Thailand. The four-lane highway is part of the proposed Asean East-West Corridor. According to officials, there is also a plan to link this road with the Trans Asian Highway-1 that runs from Japan (via ferry) to Turkey, where it connects the European highway after traversing through the Asian continent.

Speaking to FE former secretary (east), MEA, Anil Wadhwa, said, “We need to align ourselves with the master plan of Asean connectivity quickly. Connectivity is vital for increased commerce contact and cooperation between India and Asean.” “Asean wants extension of trilateral highway to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. With the Chinese moving fast, we are nowhere there,” Wadhwa added.

According to the former ambassador to Thailand, “We want the highway to be a busy one, so that trade to Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia keeps increasing. We need economic activity on the highway to sustain it, for trucks to go through.” The government recently approved an agreement to facilitate border crossing between India and Myanmar. The pact will facilitate regulation and harmonisation of already existing free movement rights for people residing in the border areas of both countries.

Also on the agenda would be the Rs 500-crore project development fund announced by India to start investments in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (also known as CLMV countries). The CLMV countries cover 32% of the geographical area of the Asean region and account for about 9% of Asean’s GDP. According to a source, the summit will also seek to address the most contentious part of the relationship, which is bilateral trade between India and Asean. While the free trade agreement on goods have been in place since 2010, the pact on services trade have not yet been ratified by the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia. It was signed in 2014. “Yes, the pact on services trade has not yet been implemented as it awaits ratification from some of the countries. But it is hoped that it will be ratified soon and we will be able to implement it,” the source said. Asean is India’s fourth largest trading partner. Bilateral trade between India and Asean reached $70 billion in 2016-17, up from $65 billion in 2015-16.

India will be hosting leaders from Asean comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Ahead of the Asean -India Commemorative Summit, a two-day Asean-India Business and Investment meet in New Delhi during January 22-23, an expo will be held, which would be the biggest Asean-focused event that India has ever organised.